Projection screen



1960 w. NICHOLAS 2,922,471

PROJECTION SCREEN Filed Aug. 27, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR.

Jan. 26, 1960 w. NICHOLAS 2,922,471

PROJECTION SCREEN Filed Aug. 27, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT OR.

PROJECTION SCREEN William Nicholas, Evanston, 111., assignor to Radiant Manufacturing Corporation, Chicago, 1th, a corporation of Illinois Appiication August 27, 1957, Serial No. 680,453

6 Claims. (Cl. 160-44) This invention relates to projection screens for use in exhibiting pictures projected thereon.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an improved projection screen having an improved suspension slat construction and an improved means for applying tension to the flexible screen for maintaining the flexible screen flat when it is in picture exhibiting position. The improved suspension slat, which is utilized for unrolling the flexible screen from the roller to picture exhibiting position, is strong and rugged in construction, is firmly secured to the flexible screen in an effective but yet inexpensive manner, is transversely tensioned to prevent formation of wrinkles in the extended flexible screen, interiorly contains the outer end of the flexible screen to prevent damage thereto, encloses and hides the flexible screen in the screen case when the flexible screen is rolled upon the roller, and enhances the appearance of the projection screen. For tensioning the flexible screen in picture exhibiting position the suspension slat is bowed throughout its length with its ends extending away from the screen case, the bowed suspension slat tensioning the screen and also preventing the formation of wrinkles in the extended flexible screen.

Further objects of this invention reside in the details of construction of the improved projection screen and in the cooperative relationships between the component parts thereof.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the accompanying specification, claims and drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved projection screen of this invention with the screen case horizontally arranged and with the flexible screen extended to picture exhibiting position.

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the upper portion of the projection screen illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially along the lines 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view through the suspension slat taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a clip utilized in the suspension slat.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 66 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view through the screen case.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 8 but showing the parts in a difierent position.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the locking member illustrated in Figs. 6, 7 and 8.

Fig. 11 is a vertical sectionalview through the handle member and also taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3, and 11 the projection screen of this invention is generally designated at 10.

States Patent Q It includes a portable collapsible stand havingan upright tube or post 11, which is preferably non-circular in cross section. A bracket 12 is slidably carried on the upright tube 11 and a plurality of legs 13 are pivotally secured to the bracket 12. Fixed to the bottom of the upright tube 11 is a bracket 14 and links 15 are pivotally secured to the bracket 14 and to the legs 13. The legs 13 may be folded together for transportation purposes and when this is done, the bracket 12 slides upwardly on the tube or post 11. Suitable latch means (not shown) may be provided for holding the legs 13 in collapsed position. When the legs are extended for exhibiting purposes, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the bracket 12 slides downwardly on the upright post 11. In this way the supporting stand is maintained in an upright position.

An extension rod 16 is slidably mounted in the upright tube or post 11, the extension rod being guided for vertical movement by a collar (not shown) carried on the lower end of the extension rod and by a cap 17 carried on the upper end of post 11. The extension rod 16 is maintained in any desired extended position by a nipping lever 18 extending through a suitable opening in theupright tube 11 and gripping the extension rod 16. The nipping lever is resiliently urged into gripping position by means of a spring19 and the action of the spring may be overcome by manually manipulating the nipping lever 18 to allow the desired adjustment of theposition of the extension rod 16. The upper end of the extension rod 16 is provided with a hook portion 20. There is thus provided a hook member which is slidably and adjustably carried by the post.

A hollow handle member 25 having a handle portion 26 and a circular portion 27 is slidably carried on the upright tube or post 11, it being provided with a suitable opening for receiving the post 11. The handle member 25 is also provided with a cover 28 which is also provided with an opening for receiving the post 11. The cover 28 is secured to the handle member 25 by a screw 29 threaded into a boss 33 having a shoulder. Located within the hollow handle member 25 is a nipping lever 32 having an opening conforming to and receiving the post 11. This nipping lever is also provided at one end with an extension 34 forming a manipulating finger which extends outwardly from the hollow handle member 25. The other end of the nipping lever 32 is provided with a spring seat 35 in the form of a post. The nipping lever 32 is fulcrumed on one side on the shoulder 33 of the hollow handle member 25. Around the post 35 and extending between the cover 28 and the other side of the nipping lever 32 is a compression spring 36. This compression spring 36 operates to tilt the nipping lever 32 about the fulcrum 33 to cause the edges of the opening in the nipping lever to engage and grip the opposite sides of the post 11. In this position the nipping lever forcibly engages the post 11 and prevents relative motion therebetween in either direction. Movement of the handle member 25 upwardly with respect to the post 11 is prevented by the shoulder 33 engaging the nipping lever 32. it is noted that the post 35 extends in close proximity to the cover 28 and the post 35 and the cover 28 operate as a stop means. When the handle member 25 is pushed downwardly, the post 35 engages the cover member 28 and prevents further downward movement of the handle member 25. Thus, with the nipping lever 32 in the position shown in Fig. 4 upward and downward movement of the handle member 25 with respect to the post 11 is prevented. When, however, the extension finger 34 of the nipping lever 32 is pressed downwardly, the nipping lever is fulcrumed about the shoulder 33 to release the edges of the opening therein from the post 11. When this is done, the handle member 25 may be freely moved upwardly and downwardly along the post 11 to any Patented Jan. 26, 1960.

3 desired position. When the nipping lever 32 is released, it automatically grips the post 11 and locks the handle member 25 in the adjusted position on the post 11.

A circular plate 37 is secured to the circular portion 27 of the handle member 25. A bracket 38 having a flat leg is pivotally mounted on the plate 37 as indicated at 39. This bracket 38 is also provided with a leg to which is secured, as by spot Welding, a screen case 48. The screen case 48 is generally square in cross sectional configuration and is provided at its rear top with a screen accommodating opening 42. The screen case is provided at its ends with brackets 43 and 44, the bracket 44 being provided with a pair of inwardly extending projections 45. The ends of the screen case 44 are closed by a pair of end caps 46. The end cap 46 is provided with a recess 47 which is adapted to'receive the hook portion 28 when the screen case is arranged in vertical position parallel to the post 11. In this way the screen case may be locked parallel to the post 11 for transportation and storage purposes. As shown in Fig. l the screen case 40 may be swung from its vertical position to horizontal position, this being aiforded by the pivotal connection between the screen case and the handle member 25.

Located within the screen case 48 is a spring actuated roller 48, the roller preferably taking the form of a metallic tube. The roller 48 is provided at one end with a spider 49 and intermediate its ends with a spider 58. The spiders 49 and 58 rotatably carry a shaft 51, the outer end of the shaft 51 being flattened as indicated at 52 and being received in a correspondingly shaped hole in the bracket 48. Thus the shaft 51 is supported by the bracket 43 and is also held against rotation. A clip 53 is secured to the shaft 51 adjacent the spider 50. One end of a coil spring 54 is connected to the clip 53 and the other end thereof is connected to the spider 49. The coil spring 54 operates automatically to rotate the roller 48 in a rolling direction, in a counter-clockwise direction as illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8.

The other end of the roller 48 is interiorly provided with a U-shaped bracket 57 having legs 56 and 58. The legs 56 and 58 carry a shaft 59 which extends through an opening in the bracket 44. In this way this end of the roller 48 is mounted for rotation by the bracket 44. Arranged within the U-shaped bracket 57 is a U-shaped bracket 68 having legs 61 and 62. This bracket 68 is provided with holes 63 which in turn receive a pin 64 carried by the U-shaped bracket 57. In this way bracket 60 is pivotally mounted in bracket 57. The bracket 60 is provided with a slot 65 for clearing the shaft 59. The leg 61 of the bracket 68 is provided with a stop shoulder 66 which is adapted to engage the projections 45 on the bracket 44 when the bracket 68 pivots outwardly. The bracket 60 is also provided with a finger 67 which is adapted to extend through a hole 68 in the roller 48 to be engaged by and controlled by the flexible screen carried by the roller. A spring 69 arranged around the pin 64 operates normally to extend the bracket 68 outwardly to the position shown in Fig. 7 where the finger 6'? projects outwardly through the hole 68 in the roller and wherein the stop surface 66 is adapted to engage the projection 45.

A flexible screen 70 is secured at its inner end to the roller 48 as by suitable adhesive or the like. Preferably theroller 48 is provided with a longitudinal shoulder 71 against which the inner end of the projection screen 78 abuts. The flexible screen 70 may be provided with any suitable picture projecting surface such as a beaded surface where motion pictures are to be exhibited, or an aluminum type surface where color pictures are to be exhibited. As expressed above, the spring 54 operates automatically to roll the screen on to the roller 48. When the flexible screen 78 is rolled upon the roller 48, the finger 67 of the bracket 68 is engaged by the flexible screen to move the bracket 68 to'a retracted position as illustrated in Fig. 8 for the purpose of moving the stop shoulder 66 out of alignment with the projections 45. Thus, the screen 78 may be freely unrolled from the roller 48. When, however, the flexible screen is unrolled to the last turn, the finger 67 is released to allow the spring 69 to advance the bracket 60 to a position where the stop shoulder 66 is moved outwardly into alignment with the projections 45 as shown in Fig. 7. When the stop shoulder 66 engages the projection 45, further unrolling of the flexible screen 70 from the roller 48 is positively prevented. As a result, tearing and separation of the screen from the roller is prevented and tensioning of the screen is permitted.

The outer end of the flexible screen 70 is looped and seamed as indicated at 73, around a retaining member 74 which preferably takes the form of a flexible rod, such as a rope, cord or the like. The outer end of the flexible screen and the retaining member are internally received within a tubular member 75 provided throughout its length with a slot 76. In this connection the outer end of the screen and the retaining member 74 are longitudinally inserted into the tubular member 75 from one end thereof, the flexible screen extending through the slot 76. A clip 78 is secured to each edge of the outer end of the screen 70 about the looped portion 73 thereof and the flexible rod 74. Each clip has a leg 79 depending from the encircling portion of the clip and these legs 78 are provided with inwardly punched portions 80.

In applying the clips 78 to the screen, the depending legs 79 are squeezed together so that the prongs formed by the inwardly punched portions 80 penetrate the screen for firmly securing the clips 78 to the screen. The clips 78 are each provided with an extension 81.

After the screen 70 and the retaining member 74 are inserted in the tubular member 75 with the clips 78 applied thereto, the extensions 81 on the clips 78 are pulled and bent over the ends of the tubular member 75 as indicated at 82 in Fig. 4. In so doing the clips 78 apply tension transversely to the screen 70 within the tubular member 75 to maintain the screen in proper position therein and to prevent formation of wrinkles in the screen. Thus, it is seen that the retaining member 74, the clips 78 and the tubular member 75 form a suspension slat construction which is strong and rugged, which is firmly secured to the flexible screen in an effective but yet inexpensive manner, which is transversely tensioned to prevent formation of wrinkles in the flexible screen, which interiorly contains the outer end of the flexible screen to prevent damage thereto, which encloses and hides the flexible screen in the screen case when the flexible screen is rolled upon the roller, and which enhances the appearance of the projection screen.

Each end of the tubular member 75 is provided with an end cap 85 which is preferably formed of synthetic plastic or the like. The end caps 85 are pressed fit onto the ends of the tubular member 75 for closing the same and for concealing the extensions 81 of the clips 78.

A bracket 87 is secured to the tubular member 75 adjacent the center thereof, and the bracket is provided with a bail 88 which operates as a handle for withdrawing the flexible screen 70 from the screen case 40 and for holding the flexiblescreen 70 in picture exhibiting position when the bail 88 is placed over the hook member 20 as illustrated in Fig. 1. The tubular member 75 is normally bowed throughout its length with its ends extending away from the screen case, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2. This bowing of the tubular member 75, which is formed of steel so as to be resilient, forms a resilient means for tensioning the screen in picture exhibiting position.

When the flexible screen is extended to picture exhibiting position and the bail 88 is placed over the hook member 20, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the stop means il lustrated in Figs. 7 to 10 operate to prevent further rotation of the spring actuated roller 48 in the rolling direction, the roller 48 thus being locked. When the hook member 20 and the handle member 25 are thereafter moved apart and locked in such position, the bowed tubular member 75 is stressed and straightened out to provide a tensioning force to the flexible screen 74 This tensioning force is appreciably greater than the tensioning force that could be applied by the spring actuated roller and consequently an appreciable amount of tension is applied to the flexible screen 70. Because the bowed tubular member- 75 is straightened out in so tensioning the screen, the tensioning force is applied to the flexible screen substantially uniformly along the suspension slat. As a result the flexible screen is uniformly tensioned and the formation of wrinkles therein is effec tively prevented.

While for purposes of illustration, one form of this invention has been disclosed, other forms thereof may become apparent to those skilled in the art upon refer ence to this disclosure, and, therefore, this invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a projection screen for exhibiting pictures projected thereon and having a supporting stand, a screen case carried by the supporting stand, a spring actuated roller mounted in the screen case, a flexible screen secured at its inner end to the roller and being automatically rollable thereon, and a hook member carried by the supporting stand, the improvement comprising, a loop formed on the outer end of the screen, a rod extending throughout the length of the loop and forming a retaining member for the outer end of the screen, a tubular member having a slot therein for accommodating the screen and being of less width than the width of the retaining member, the outer end of the screen and the retaining member being received within the tubular member and engaging the tubular member adjacent the slot to be retained thereby with the screenextending through the slot, the tubular member forming a suspension slat for the screen for unrolling the screen from the roller, and means carried by the tubular member and including a bail adapted to be received over the hook member for securing the screen in picture exhibiting position, and means connecting the outer end of the screen to the tubular member for transversely tensioning the outer end of the screen in the tubular member.

2. In a projection screen for exhibiting pictures projected thereon and having a supporting stand, a screen case carried by the supporting stand, a spring actuated roller mounted in the screen case, a flexible screen secured at its inner end to the roller and being automatically rollable thereon, and a hook member carried by the supporting stand, the improvement comprising, a loop formed on the outer end of the screen, a rod extending throughout the length of the loop and forming a retaining member for the outer end of the screen, a tubular member having a slot therein for accommodating the screen and being of less Width than the width of the retaining member, the outer end of the screen and the retaining member being secured within the tubular member and engaging the tubular member adjacent the slot to be retained thereby with the screen extending through the slot, the tubular member forming a suspension slot for the screen for unrolling the screen from the roller, and means carried by the tubular member and including a bail adapted to be received over the hook member for securing the screen in picture exhibiting position, and a clip secured to each edge of the outer end of the screen about the rod and having an extension secured over the adjacent end of the tubular member for transversely tensioning the outer end of the screen in the tubular member.

3. In a projection screen for exhibiting pictures projected thereon and having a supporting stand, a screen case carriedby the supporting stand, a spring actuated roller mounted in the screen case, a flexible screense- 6 cured at its inner end to the roller and being automatically rollable thereon, and a hook member carried by the supporting stand, the improvement comprising, a loop formed on the outer end of the screen, a rod extending throughout the length of the loop and forming a retaining member for the outer end of the screen, a tubular member having a slot therein for accommodating the screen and being of less width than the width of the retaining member, the outer end of the screen and the retaining member being received within the tubular member and engaging the tubular member adjacent the slot to be retained thereby with the screen extending through the slot, the tubular member forming a suspension slat for the screen for unrolling the screen from the roller, and means carried by the tubular member and including a bail adapted to be received over the hook member for securing the screen in picture exhibiting position, and a clip secured to each edge of the outer end of the screen about the rod and having an extension secured over the adjacent end of the tubular member for transversely tensioning the outer end of the screen in the tubular memher, and an end cap secured to each end of the tubular member for closing the same and for covering the extension of the adjacent clip.

4. In a projection screen for exhibiting pictures projected thereon and having a supporting stand, a screen case carried by the supporting stand, a spring actuated roller mounted in the screen case, a flexible screen secured at its inner end to the roller and being automatically rollable thereon, and a hook member carried by the supporting stand, the improvement comprising, a retaining member secured to the outer end of the screen and extending throughout the length thereof, a tubular member having a slot therein for accommodating the screen and being of less width than the width of the retaining member, the outer end of the screen and the retaining member being receivedwithin the tubular member and engaging the tubular member adjacent the slot to be retained thereby with the screen extending through the slot, the tubular member forming a suspension slat for the screen for unrolling the screen from the roller, said tubular member being bowed throughout its length with its ends extending away from the screen case, means including a bail secured to the center of the tubular member and adapted to be received over the hook member for releasably securing the screen in picture exhibiting position, means connecting the outer end of the screen to the tubular member for transversely tensioning the outer end of the screen in the tubular member, and means for longitudinally tensioning the screen in picture exhibiting position including means for locking the roller against rotation in the unrolling direction to allow the bowed tubular member longitudinally to tension the screen.

5. In a projection screen for exhibiting pictures projected thereon and having a supporting stand, a screen case carried by the supporting stand, a spring actuated roller mounted in the screen case, a flexible screen secured at its inner end to the roller and being automatically rollable thereon, and a hook member carried by the supporting stand, the improvement comprising, a loop formed on the outer end of the screen, a rod extending through the length of the loop and forming a retaining member for the outer end of the screen, a tubular member having a slot therein for accommodating the screen and being of less width than the width of the retaining member, the outer end of the screen and the re taining member being received within the tubular member and engaging the tubular member adjacent the slot to be retained thereby with the screen extending through the slot, the tubular member forming a suspension slat for the screen for unrolling the screen from the roller, and a clip secured to each edge of the outer end of the screen about the rod and having an extension secured over the adjacent end of the tubular member for transversely tensioning the outer end of the screen in the tubular member, said tubular member being bowed throughoutits length with its ends extending away from the screen case, means including a bail secured to the center of the tubular member and adapted to be received over the hook member for releasably securing the screen in picture exhibiting position, and means for longitudinally tensioning the screen in picture exhibiting position including means for locking the roller against rotation in the unrolling direction to allow the bowed tubular member longitudinally to tension the screen.

6. In a projection screen for exhibiting pictures projected thereon and having a supporting stand, a screen case carried by the supporting stand, a spring actuated roller mounted in the screen case, a flexible screen secured at its inner end to the roller and being automatically rollable thereon, a suspension slat secured to the outer end of the screen, and a hook member carried by the supporting stand, the improvement comprising, means including a bail secured to the center of the suspension slat and adapted to be received over the hook member for releasably securing the screen in picture exhibiting position, said suspension slat being bowed throughout its length with its ends extending away from the screen case, means connecting the outer end of the screen to the suspension slat for transversely tensioning the outer end of the screen at the suspension slat, and means for longitudinally tensioning the screen in picture exhibiting position including means for locking the roller against rotation in the unrolling direction to allow the bowed suspension slat longitudinally to tension the screen.

Reierences flirted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,901,073 Bailey Mar. 14, 1933 2,470,416 Silver May 17, 1949 2,696,249 Prokop et al. Dec. 7, 1954 

